“Apprehensive that you might be distressed to maintain the Army now in our capital, from the lowness of your finances, we thought it advisable to obtain a warrant in your favour for thirty-five thousand dollars; which Mr. Lewis received, and will deliver you.

“I should do great injustice to Congress, if I did not assure you that they are disposed to do everything which can be reasonably required for your protection.

“I have the honour to be, with the greatest regard, gentlemen, your most obedient and very humble servant,

“JAMES DUANE.

“To the Honourable the Convention of New-York.”

A Letter from Major-General Lee, dated this day, requesting Money, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

“New-York, February 27, 1776.

“SIR: As we have here no Continental Paymaster, I am under the necessity of addressing myself to the Provincial Congress to assist me in this article. I have a considerable party to be subsisted, and are now to be furnished with necessaries; two thousand dollars at least are requisite. You will much oblige me, therefore, sir, in endeavouring to procure this sum. If you could make it twenty-five hundred dollars, it would be more convenient to, sir, your most obedient,

“CHARLES LEE.

“To Colonel Woodhull, President of the Provincial Congress, New-York.”

The Congress agreed to give Major-General Lee an order on the Treasurer for twenty-five hundred Dollars. And an order for that purpose was drawn and approved of, in the words following, to wit:

Major-General Lee, by his Letter of this day, having requested of this Congress to advance him the sum of twenty-five hundred Dollars for the subsistence of his party:

Thereupon, Ordered, That Peter Van B. Livingston, Esquire, as Treasurer of this Congress, advance to Major-General Lee twenty-five hundred Dollars, on Continental account.

A draft of a Letter to Major-General Lee was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

SIR: Your letter of this morning was received and read. The requisition therein contained was immediately taken into consideration, and the Congress, ever ready to do all in their power to promote the publick service, agreed to advance you twenty-five hundred dollars. An order on our Treasurer for that sum, I have the honour to enclose you.

We are, most respectfully, sir, your very humble servants.

By order.

To Major-General Lee.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ritzema, by request, attended the Congress. Being asked what has been done by Congress relative to the two Regiments ordered to be formed out of the Troops in Canada, Mr. Ritzema says, that there are about nine hundred men in Canada; that they are the remnants of all corps which have been there, and cannot usefully be formed into one or two Regiments; that the Congress have surperseded their former order to form two battalions out of those Troops; that Mr. Walker has informed him that General Wooster had attempted to carry the order into execution, and has failed; that he looks upon the officers in Canada as unprovided for, and that they look upon themselves so; that a Committee of the Continental Congress told him that the officers were to be provided for in the new levies in their respective Colonies from whence they proceeded in the service; that on the 15th November, General Montgomery new-arranged the Army, and Mr. Ritzema read a copy of the General’s declaration to the Troops, and the terms, of new inlistments; that the General by parole appointed the Field-Officers. That there remains in the whole about fifteen hundred stand of arms—about five hundred belonged to this Colony; that about one hundred and fifty he left in three boxes in his rooms in Montreal; that the New-England Troops carried off with them about fifteen hundred muskets, taken at St. John’s; and that Colonel Warner’s party carried off all their arms. Lieutenant-Colonel Ritzema then gave a particular account of all the officers from this Colony now in Canada.

Mr. Sands informed Congress that Mr. John Murray had a Sloop, with Pig-Mettle, seized by Captain Vandeput, and requests permission to go on board of the Ship Dutchess of Gordon and the Ship Asia, to endeavour to regain his property.

Ordered, That Mr. John Murray be permitted to go on board of the Dutchess of Gordon and his Majesty’s Ship Asia.

To Mr. Elias Nixen, Port-Master.

Mr. Nicholas Low requests a permit to ship Flaxseed and Lumber on board of the Ship Polly, Captain Thomas Kennedy Master, to be exported to Cork, in Ireland, in returns for stores imported.

Ordered, That Mr. Low be permitted to load Flaxseed and Lumber on board of the Ship Polly, Captain Thomas Kennedy Master, to the amount of eight hundred and ninety-six Pounds nine Pence.

Die Lunæ, 4 ho. P. M., February 27, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Brigadier-General Woodhull, President, (say Ten Broeck.)

FOR NEW-YORK.—Colonel Lott, Mr. Prince, Mr. Beekman, Captain Rutgers, Mr. Roosevelt, Captain Denning, Mr. Van Zandt.

FOR ALBANY.—General Ten Broeck, Colonel Nicoll, Mr. A. Yates, Mr. Gansevoort.

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Hobart, Mr. Gelston.

FOR ORANGE.—Colonel Hay, Mr. Herring, Colonel Allison, Mr. Clowes.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Dewitt, Mr. Lefever, Colonel Palmer, (on duty.)

FOR DUTCHESS.—Colonel . Ten Broeck, Mr. Schenck.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Ward, Colonel Joseph Drake, Doctor Graham.

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Leffertse, Mr. Vanderbilt.